Introduction
to Glycolysis
What Is It's function?
Glycolysis has two key functions:
- Generate some ATP from the free energy available from the
rearrangement of the atoms in monosacharides (particularly glucose).
- To partially break down glucose and so provide a starting point for
the complete oxidation of glucose by another pathway to carbon dioxide
and water with the generation of much ATP. The pathway is named for
this splitting function - lysis of glucose=glycolysis.
Glycolysis probably evolved billions of years ago when there was
hardly any molecular oxygen present in the atmosphere and so the second
function would be a later development. This tutorial concentrates
on glycolysis taking place in anaerobic conditions.
Author: Jon Maber
j.r.maber@leeds.ac.uk
Dept
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The University of Leeds, U.K.